Residents along County Road are facing more disruption after it was announced earlier his week that the long overdue works will now be further delayed.
Commuters using the busy thoroughfare will also have to contend with a broken and unfinished road surface after it became clear the original timelines could not be met.
According to Liverpool City Council, a ‘design review’ must now be carried out to assess the planned works.
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It has not been stated how long this will take to conduct or when the programme of works will be able to resume.
Residents and businesses along the road have been in a state of limbo since last summer after the previous contractor carrying out the original scheme, VIAM, collapsed into administration.
The contractor’s collapse left the road surface incomplete with large patches where the tarmac had been torn up and not replaced.
Sizable potholes and imbalances in the road were also left unaddressed.
The situation led to some residents labelling the road a ‘health hazard’, with numerous stories of people falling, tripping or having near misses as a result of the road surface.
Other business owners in the area said the road came to symbolise a lack of investment and care for the area having seen the fortunes of its highstreet dramatically change over the last decade.
In October 2021 however, it was confirmed by the city council that contractors Huyton Civils had been drafted in to carry out remedial works with a view to finishing the scheme in the new year.
In December, a spokesperson for the council outlined that works on the road were set to resume early in January following a break over Christmas with the aim of being completed by the end of February.
However, it has since been confirmed that this timeline cannot be met and a reassessment of the design is now needed.
Speaking earlier this week, County ward Cllr Gerard Woodhouse said the residents were irritated by ongoing delays.
He told the ECHO: “We’ve heard nothing about this.
“The [first] contractors had done a terrible job that needed ripping up and it just feels like excuses.
“It’s just terrible, it’s frustrating that we don’t know when it’s going to be done.
“It’s unsafe driving along that road and people are diverting off onto the main side roads, which isn’t good and a lot of them are one way.”
Faced with the prospect of more delays and interruptions, the ECHO spoke to businesses along the thoroughfare about the situation they’ve been left with.
Gary Hartles works in The Cobblers key and shoe repair shop which looks out onto a patch of unfinished road.
He told the ECHO: “It’s a mess and there seems to be no end in sight.”
Trutex Schoolwear also faces onto a patch of road which has been ripped up and not yet repaved.
A member of staff in the store said: “Thankfully it’s not affecting the business as people can still walk along the pavement and get into the shop.
“People are managing, but there’s nothing really we can do about it unfortunately.”
But in other businesses, the works and subsequent delays have had a more adverse effect.
Rainbows and Unicorns is an arts and crafts shop as well as creative workspace and wellbeing centre that offers holistic treatments.
While much of the work along the road is on hiatus, heavy machinery is still working on the road surface directly outside of the shop.
The shop is run by Rae and Jade who said while they remain positive about wider change and regeneration in the local area, the roadworks “have massively impacted the business.”
Rae claims the business has had “zero notice” about when works were going to take place outside of their building.
Rae told the ECHO: “It's caused major problems as this is a wellbeing centre and creative space.
“We've had to cancel all sorts of Reiki treatments - [an energy healing technique].
“As you can imagine having a Reiki treatment while there is a giant digger digging outside, there's no peaceful music that's going to get rid of that sound.
“You come into a peaceful shop and the drilling starts and it's like somebody is scraping the insides of your brain out.
“The windows start rattling and your teeth chatter and everything.
“It needs to be clear to the public about what's going on, but none of that has happened.
“I'm optimistic for the area and always have been and I know better things are coming. I know the work is going to get done, but it's just frustrating when it changes all of the time.
“I'd get it done quicker with a spoon.”
Co-worker Jade shares similar frustration regarding the timing and notice of announcing further delays.
Jade told the ECHO: “You turn up one day and it's they’re digging up the road and we can't tell our customers beforehand.
“Some people have built themselves up for months to get here as well, only to be met with a drill outside.
“I don't think [roadworks] will get rid of us but we are having to work a lot harder online.
“We love our area and we want it to be nice and we want it to be lovely, but it works both ways. You've got to communicate.
“Nobody is telling us when they're going to be here all day.
“You're literally standing here shaking.
“The residents don't know what's going on. They've got babies crying and they're on nights.
“If they planned the work properly, executed it properly, it wouldn't need doing again.”
Earlier this week Liverpool City Council apologised for the delays to the County Road Scheme.
It was also confirmed by the City Council that a programme of road resurfacing on Walton Lane will also begin this week lasting for six to eight weeks.
The local authority confirmed on Twitter that overnight work will take place from 7pm to 6am Monday to Friday with a full road closure required during each phase.
County Road and Utting Avenue will guide traffic via diversions as part of the first phase.
Responding to the news that the County Road scheme faces further delays, a spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “There is big frustration in the council that the works on County Road have not been able to go ahead as planned. We sincerely apologise for all of the disruption it has caused and are working to find a solution as soon as possible.
“At the 11th hour it was apparent that there was a flaw in the design of the County Road works and therefore a design review was required to ensure the works can be carried out to the highest standard and avoid further disruption further down the line. We are aware of the disappointment and frustration this will cause.
“Contractors were ready to carry out the works on Country Road and will now instead press ahead with work on Walton Lane. County Road is and was the priority.
“The schedule of work will now be amended so that Walton Road is worked on while the design review takes place.”
